Refrigerating apparatus



Oct. 22, 1940. D REEVES REFRIGERAT ING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 24, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR. Dan z b. Pass 8.

ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 22, 1940. D. H. REEVES REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 24, 19357 4 Sheeis-$heet 2 1N VENTOR.

Dan .440 Pesyas.

///s ATTORNEYS.

- Oct. 22, 1940. D REEVES REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 24, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 I N VEN TOR. pamua 6. Pave-s,

I M M 1W8 ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 22, 1940; D. H. REEVES REFRIGERATING AIPARATUS Filed Sept. 24, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Don 41.0 6. PA": 74's,

HAS ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 22, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE eral Motors Corporatio notation of Delaware n, Dayton, Ohio, a cor- Application September 24, 1931, Serial No. 165,550

2Claims.

This invention relates to freezing devices such as ice trays used in household refrigerators and particularly to grid structures adapted to be disposed in the trays.

One of the objects of my inventlonis to provide an improved grid structure adapted to be disposed in an ice tray for dividing the interior thereof into a plurality of ice block compartments and a novel method of removing the grid together with ice blocks adhering thereto from the tray and liberating ic e blocks from the grid structure without applying heat thereto.

Another object of my invention is to provide an ice tray with a removable substantially rigid single walled metal unitary grid structure which has certain of its ice block forming compartment walls movable progressively relative to certain other walls thereof for enlarging the ice block compartments. and releasing ice blocks therefrom.

A further object of my invention is to provide an ice tray grid structure in which certain walls thereof are movably disposed at an acute angle to form ice blocks that are substantially of parallelogram form in one direction and in which structure these certain walls are progressivelymoved out of their normal angled position to successively enlarge the'ice block compartments and break ice blocks therefrom.

v A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved metallic grid structure having longitudinal dividing members disposed one above the other in substantially the same vertical plane and one of which dividing members is movable in a single direction of motion relative to the other dividing member to impart a tilting movement to dividing members associated therewith and extending transversely thereto for moving the transverse members out of a normal angled position into a substantiallyvertical position to simultaneously break the bond between the members and ice formed in the structure and to enlarge the ice compartments of the structure for releasing ice blocks therefrom.

In carrying out the foregoing objects it is a still further and more specific object of my invention to provide an improved method of and arrangement for movably locking transverse grid wall dividing members to a split longitudinal grid wall dividing member so that movement of one of the dividing members of the longitudinal grid wall lengthwise only relative to the other member of the longitudinal wall will cause movement of the transverse grid walls and which arrangement provides advantages residing in details of 56 construction of the improved grid structure as will more fully appear in the course of the following description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 i a top plan view of an ice tray having a unitary grid structure constructed in accord- 6 ance with my invention positioned therein Fig. 2 is a side view of the freezing device shown in Fig. 1 and is taken on the line 2-2 thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2' showing the grid together with ice blocks frozen therein and 10 adhering thereto elevated to the tray;

Fig. 4 is a view disclosing the grid and ice blocks-adhering thereto removed from the tray and showing certain walls of the unitary grid structure moved relative to other walls thereof 5 for releasing ice blocks therefrom;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the position of the grid walls after they have been moved to release all ice blocks therefrom;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 20 of Fig. 2 showing the locking arrangement of the movable portions of the longitudinal grid wall within an end transverse wall of the grid;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1-'I of Fig. 2showing the association of the movable 2 portions of the longitudinal grid wall within another transverse wall of the grid;

Fig. 8 is. a fragmentary top plan view of the grid walls in a position during assembly thereof to form a unitary structure; 30

Fig. 9. is a side view partly in section of the position of the grid'walls during assembly thereof as shown in Fig. 8; I;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line ill-40 of Fig. 9 showing the position of the mov- 35 able members of the longitudinal grid wall during assembly thereof into an end transverse grid wall;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line H-ll of Fig. 9 showing the position of the mov- 40 able members of the longitudinal grid wall during assembly thereof into other transverse walls of the grid structure; and

Fig. 12 i a sectional view taken on the line I 12-42 of Fig. 1 showing a vertically elongated 45 opening at the connection of a lever with the upper movable member of the split longitudinal grid wall.

Referring to the drawings, for the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have disclosed in 50 Figs. 1 to 7 a metal ice tray it having side walls II (see Figs. 6 and 7), a bottom wall l2 and opposed end walls l3 and I 4. The tray side walls II and the front end wall I! thereof converge outwardly toward the top of the tray. The back wall H of tray in converges outwardly toward the top of the tray a greater distance than other walls thereof for a purpose which will become apparent hereinafter. The walls l3 and l4 5 of tray in have their upper edge rolled over to fie form a rim l5 which extends continuously around the top of the tray. A portion of the metal tray I0 is extended downwardly from rim I5, as at it, at the front end thereof and provides a 0 mounting for a metal piece H which has a handle l3 pivotally secured thereto. The handle l3 facilitates placing of tray III in or on a cooling element of a refrigerating system and a'cam surface I9 formed thereon functions, upon actuat- 5 ing handle I8, to break an ice bond between the tray and its support to permit removal of the tray and its frozen contents from the cooling element or evaporator as is well-known in the art.

A unitary metallic grid structure, generally represented by the reference character 20, is removably disposed within tray I0 and divides the interior of the tray into a plurality of rows of open-top molds, cells or compartments 2|. The

grid structure includes sections which are movable relative to one.another and which are in the form of longitudinal dividing members 22 and 23 disposed one above the other in substantially the same verticalplane. By disposing the members 22 and 23 one above the other respec- 'tively they form complementary portions of a longitudinal wall of a single thickness which wall is common to a plurality of the ice block compartments 2|. Member 22 is provided with a plurality of spaced apart slots or notches 24 extending downwardly a short distance from its top edge. These slots or notches 24 include side walls 25 and 26 cut at opposite angles to one another and a bottom horizontal wall 21. Member 23 is\provided with a plurality of spaced apart m slots or notches 23 extending upwardly from its bottom edge. The slots or notches 23 include side walls 32 and 33 cut at opposite angles to one another and a top horizontal wall 34. It is to be noted that the bottom edge of member 5 22, which rests upon the uppermost edge of member 23, is cut awayinwardly of its one end as at 36 and the top edge of member 23 is cut away as at 31 for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described. The slots or notches 24 and 23 in dividing members 22 and 23 respectively cooperate with one another' to receive the upper and lower bounding portions 33 and 39 of an opening 4| cut in members 42 (see Figs. 6 and 7) which members 42 extend transversely to the longitudi- 5 nal members 22 and 23 to divide the interior .of the tray into the compartments 2|. Thus the two longitudinal members 32 and 33 extend through and are movably locked to the plurality of transverse members 42. By referring again to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the slots or notches 24 and 23 are arranged to normally hold the portions 33 and 39 of transverse members 42 against the wall portions 28 and 33 respectively of the notches. This abutment of transverse members 42 with walls 26 and 33 of the longitudinal members 22 and 23 normally maintains the members 42 in parallel relation to one another and in a predetermined position disposed at an acute,

grid relative to one another.

form of a parallelogram. This normal angled disposition of the transverse grid wall members 42 is for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully explained.

The one'end portion of dividing member 23 is 5 bent outwardly as at 45 (see Figs. 1 and 8) from the longitudinal plane of the main portion thereof and has an upwardly directed extension 43 provided thereon. Thus the one end portion of member 22 lies adjacent the extension 46 proin vided on member 23. A lever 41, having a short lever end part 43 and a relatively long handle portion 49, is provided with a pair of legs SI and 52 (see Fig. 1) which straddle the upwardly extending portion 46 of member 23 and the one end portion of member 22 lying adjacent the extension 4|i. A pin 54 extends through the one leg 42 of lever 41 and is secured to member 23 by being ,staked in a suitable opening provided in the upwardly extended portion 46 of the member 23. 20

A second pin 55 extends through and is staked to the other leg 3| of lever 41. This pin 45 passes through a vertically elongated opening 56 provided in the upper dividing member 22. The pin 54 pivotally attaches lever 41 to the grid structure to thereby include the lever as an integral part of the unitary grid structure 23. The elongated opening 56 in dividing member 22 and pin 55 disposed therein are located slightly above and to one side of the pin or pivotal mounting 54 of 41 pin 55 freely members 22 and 23 with transverse members 42 m secures all parts and walls of the grid structure together to form the unitary grid structure 20.

The slots 24 in member 22 are of such configuration and of progressively increased width relative to one another from the lever end of the structure to the opposite end thereof as to cause the upper longitudinal member 22, upon being moved lengthwise of the lower longitudinal member 23, to successively move or tilt the transverse members 42, from the lever end to the opposite 5 end of the structure to thereby produce a progressive movement of the transverse members.

This progressive movement of the members 42 decreases the force required to move same out of their normal angled position to enlarge the ice 5n block compartments as will be more fully described hereinafter in the description of the operation of the device. Having described the construction of the unitary grid structure I will now describe the method of assembling the wall memn hers thereof together in locked but movable relation to one another. It will be noted that the two transverse grid wall members 42 at the lever end of the struc- I ture have the opening 4| therein widened asat'M 6| (see Figs. 6 and 10) near the upper portion thereof to thus produce a wide portion and a relatively narrow portion in the opening 4| of these two end members 42 as distinguished from the tall narrow opening 4| in other of the members 42 for facilitating assembly of the members 22, 23 and 42. In assembling the members 22, 23 and 42 together the lower longitudinal dividing member 23 is passed through the opening 4| provided in the transverse dividing or grid wall 1 in Figs. '9 and 10 of the drawings.

be seen by referring to Figs. 8 and 9 that the two end transverse members at the lever end of the grid, having the widened opening portion 6|, permit flexing of the longitudinal member 22 around the shoulder portion extending above the cut-away part 31 in member 23 as shown in Fig. 8 during the act of sliding same through the opening 4| in transverse members 42 into vertical alignment with the lower longitudinal member 23. After the upper longitudinal member 22 has been moved into or through the openings 4| of the transverse members a suilicient distance to cause the shoulder adjacent the cutaway part 36 on member 22 to abut the shoulder .-adjacent-the cut-away part 31 of member 23, at

the end of the structure opposite the lever end thereof, the transverse members 42 are registered with the slots or notches 24 and the upper longitudinal member 22 can then be elevated. Elevation of member 22 at this time causes the bounding portion 38 of openings 4| in members 42 to move into the slots 24 and by moving the ends oi the longitudinal member 22 into vertical alignment with the-ends of the longitudinal mem- .ber 23 the lower edge of member 22 will rest upon the elevated end portions adjacent the cutout part 31 of member 23; With the ends of the upper and lower longitudinal members 22 and 23 registering the lever 41 may then be attached to the structure by the pins 54 and 55 in the manner heretofore described to provide the unitary grid structure 25.

Due to the normal disposition of the walls 42 of grid 20 to form the ice compartment shape described, movement or tilting of the walls -42 relative to the longitudinal wall, comprising the dividing members 22 and 23, out or their normal acuteangled position into a vertical position toward the wall portion 33 of slots 23 will-change the contour or cross-sectional area shape of the compartments 2| and thischange progressively and momentarily enlarges each compartment to v break ice blocks from the walls. The ice blocks upon being broken loose from the grid walls Ireely fall from the enlarged compartments into the tray or other'receptacle adapted to receive them.

This enlargement of the compartments 2| is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings and can best be understood by measuring a line drawn at right angles to the extension of the transverse walls- 42 and between two of these walls while they are-in their normal acute angled position and by again measuring this line after moving same simultaneously with movement of the walls 42 into their vertical position it will be observed that the dimension of this line has been increased. Due to the small scale of the drawings and the slight enlargement of the compartments required to carry out the objects of .the

invention it may be difllcult to observe the enlarging of the compartments 2| but with the present description this enlargement of the compartments can be readily ascertained by increas-. ing the scale of the drawings.

Assume that water has been frozen in the tray III in the form of blocks 55 in compartments 2|, by the cooling effect produced by an evaporator of a refrigerating system, and the tray handle l8 has been manipulated to remove the tray from 5 the evaporator and it is now desirable to remove the ice blocks 65 from the unitary grid structure 20. The handle end 49 of lever 41 is therefore elevated to move the lever about its pivot pin 54 and to cause the short lever end part 48 10 thereof to engage the rim |5 of tray Ill and exert a force against the tray. .This force applied to tray l0 causes the unitary grid structure 20, together with the ice blocks 65 adhering thereto,

to be elevated relative to the tray (see Fig. 3).

The elongated opening 56 in'member 22 permits pin 55 to rise therein, during rotation of pin 55 about the axis of, pin 54,.without engaging the longitudinal member 22 during the initial move- I ment of lever 41 to elevate the grid structure g t and ice blocks 65 relative to the tray as explained. After the bond between the ice blocks 55 and tray l0 has been broken by elevation of the grid 2|! relative to the tray the grid may be removed from the tray or raised above the 581118.25

Thereafter further movement of lever 41 in its single direction of motion about its pivot 54 causes the pin 55 to engage and exert a force to the wall of elongated opening 56 to move the upper dividing member 22 of the longitudinal grid wall lengthwise oi the lower dividing member 23. Obviously the elongated opening 56 serves 'to prevent movement of the ,upper dividing member 220i the longitudinal grid wall while the grid structure and ice blocks 65 are being elevated relative to the tray and this opening 56 therefore 'forms means for limiting movement of member 22 to a lengthwise direction. The initial movement of member 22 lengthwise of member 23 and toward the lever end of the grid structure 20 causes the side wall 26 of slot 24, nearest the lever end of the-structure, to engage the portion 28 of the end transverse member or grid wall 42 to tilt the end member 42. This tilting of end transverse member 42 causes same to pivot about the juncture of walls' 32 and 33 of slot 29.with

the bottom edge of member 23 and moves member 42 out of its normal predetermined angled position (see Fig. 4) to release the two end ice blocks. The increased width of the slots 24 and their difierent contour relative to one another prevents movement of other of the transverse walls 42 during movement of the end transverse wall. However, continued rotation of lever 41 about its pivot 54 to move member 22 lengthwise of member 23 causes progressive engagement of walls 26 of the other slots 24 to move the remaining transverse walls 42 progressively'irom the lever 'end to the opposite end of the grid structure 20 as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings to liberate all ice blocks 65 from the grid.

It will be noted that the sliding lengthwise movement only 01 dividing member 22 01' the longitudinal grid wall relative to member 23 thereof is aflorded by the provision of the vertically elongated slot 55 and eliminates any i'orce being imparted to the ice blocks 55 during the act of elevating the grid structure 25 relative to the tray. By virtue of positioning the transverse wall members 42 substantially parallel to one another and at an acute angle relative to a line extended perpendicularly to the longitudinal extension of the grid structure the distance between adjacent transverse wall members 42 will be increased upon movement of these wall members out of their normal angled position; The size 01' the parallelo- -fall from the compartments. It will also be noted by referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings that after the various parts of the grid structure have been assembled and locked together movement of certain parts thereof relative to certain other parts to effect the release of ice blocks therefrom does not alter the unitary character of the structure.

,The arrangement and cooperation of various parts of the grid structure with other parts thereof provides a device which is substantially free of concealed pockets or crevices that may be difficult to clean. The walls of the grid structure may, if desired, be treated or coated with a waxy substance to facilitate removal of ice therefrom.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided improved ice tray grid construction which is of low cost, strong and durable, capable of being operated with a minimum of force and effective to remove ice blocks therefrom. My improved structure by eliminating movement of certain walls thereof relative to other walls during the act of elevating the grid together with ice blocks from the tray prevents unduly shattering the ice blocks. B'y constructing the entire grid of metal I retain the fast freezing characteristics of metal tray and grid combinations. The improved structure can be operated with a minimum of force to release any desired number of ice blocks therefrom to thus overcome objections to prior devices wherein utmost effort is required to release ice' blocks. In my present device a single lever, operable in one direction of motion only, serves to remove the unitary grid together with ice blocks adheringthereto from the tray and to progressively liberate ice blocks from the grid structure.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. a removable unitary grid structure for disposition in-a freezing tray. comprising, a two-part longitudinal member anda plurality of partitionin: members carried thereby and extending transversely thereto to form therewith walls of a row of ice block compartments on each side of said longitudinal member, one of said parts of said two-part longitudinal member being movable relative to the other part thereof to cause movement of said transverse partitioning members relative to said longitudinal member, a lever for applying force between said parts of said two-part longitudinal member, said lever being pivotally mounted to one part of said two-part longitudinal member and having a connection with the other part thereof, and said connection of said lever with said other part of said two-part longitudinal member being so constructed and arranged with respect to the pivotal mounting of said lever as to limit the application of force between said parts of said longitudinal member to aforce acting only in a direction lengthwise of the grid structure for sliding one part of said longitudinal member relative to the other part thereof without tending to raise said one part with respect to the other part when said lever is actuated.

2. A removable unitary grid structure for disposition in a freezing tray comprising, a two-part longitudinal member and a-plurality of partitioning members carried thereby'and extending transversely thereto to form therewith walls of a row of ice block compartments on each side of said longitudinal member, one of said parts of said two-part longitudinal member being movable relative to the other part thereof to cause movement of said transverse partitioning members relative to said longitudinal member, a lever for applying force between said parts of said twopart longitudinal member, said lever being pivotally mounted to one part of said two-part longitudinal member and having a part movable, therewith fitting in an opening provided in the other part thereof, and the wall of the opening in said other part of saidlongitudinal member being so shaped with respect to the pivotal mounting of said lever as to limit the application of force between said parts of. said longitudinal member to a force acting only in a direction lengthwise of the grid structure for sliding one part of said longitudinal member relative to the other part thereof without tending to raise said one part with respect to the other part when said lever is actuated.

' DONALD E. REEVES. 

